As a child growing up in the 1980s, I was lucky to live in bustling and trendy Camden Town, in the heart of London. Our house was just around the corner from the shop Swanky Modes, opened in 1974 by Esme Young, Willie Walters and Melanie Langer selling their own designs. I remember my parents going there and me thinking that this was a place …

Today I had the chance to explain a project to my students, which I personally like a lot: As part of their module in brand management, the students are asked to examine Fast Fashion in 2 parts. Part one deals with the success strategies of the most successful global retailers in that segment which are (according to some statistics) Zara, H&M and Uniqlo. These brands …

According to an interview with Judith Clarke and Adam Phillips, creators of the new exhibition, The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined, at London’s Barbican Art Gallery, the term ‘vulgar’ needs to be reclaimed, brought back into critical discussion within historical and cultural debates on fashionable dress[1]. Too often, they suggest, ‘vulgar’ is used without explanation and, in doing so, has established itself as a pejorative measure of …

I recently had a conversation with my colleagues about the value of a fashion education, in reflection on my last post about the news of Art History A Level qualifications. So, what do students gain from fashion? In my opinion, everything. What do most people think students will gain from studying fashion? more often than not- just the concept of fashion design and ‘drawing dresses.’ …

I was going to post an exhibition review but realised that it would probably fall by the wayside, given how much attention will be paid to the US election results. Rather than compete with the momentous political event currently taking place, I will leave my review until later this month. It seems more appropriate to remain an observer at this point, to enable both myself …

Who: Faculty of Arts, Design, and Media, Birmingham City University Where: Birmingham City, Birmingham, UK When: May 10-12, 2017 Submission guidelines: Deadlines for abstract submissions is December 9, 2016. For more details, please visit the conference website. This multi-disciplinary, international conference will explore the nature of dress as it relates to, responds to, and influences culture. Through presentations, poster, panel discussions and performance, the conference …

There are some photographers that are closely linked to a certain 1990s glamour and sensuality – Herb Ritts is one of them. In an exhibition that has just closed its doors at the MEP (Musée Européen de la Photographie), the photographer’s work was meticulously analyzed, from his iconic celebrity and fashion portraits to his musical videos and his African memorabilia. With Herb Ritts it’s a …

Dear readers, as I am spending the autumn school holidays with my child in continental Europe, I can’t stop noticing that shops and supermarkets have already stocked up on Christmas merchandise, while still selling pumpkins for Halloween. In fact, even if I look away, it is impossible to navigate the shops without all the seasonal junk. Bright orange round things are standing next to …